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Mini-Excursion 3:

The Time Value

of Money
Annuities and Loans

Chapter 10 introduced us to three basic models of population growth

(linear, exponential, and logistic), and we saw that these models are applica-
ble to the study of things other than just biological populations. The purpose
of this mini-excursion is to discuss in greater detail some of the ideas behind
the exponential growth model as they apply specifically to one very impor-
tant populationyour money! You wont find any hot stock tips or get-rich-
quick real estate schemes here, but you will gain a better understanding of
one of the most important principles of financethat the value of money is
time dependent, and that a dollar in your hands today is worth more than
the promise of a dollar tomorrow.
Money has a present value and a future value. Most of the time, if you
give up the right to x dollars today (present value) for a promise of getting
the money at some future date, you should expect to get, in return for this
sacrifice, something more than x dollars (future value). And of course, the
same principle also works in reverseif you are the one getting the x dol-
lars today (either in cash or in goods), you would expect to have to pay back
more than x dollars tomorrow.
The difference between the present value and the future value of money is
the price that one party is paying for the risk that another party is taking.
Every promise of future payment carries some element of riskthe risk that
the promise will not be kept, and sometimes the risk that the receiving party
may not be around to collect. This is a simple-sounding idea, but quantifying
risk in the form of dollars and cents involves many variables and is far from
trivial. But that is the business of bankers and insurance folk.
Our task here is considerably less ambitious. In this mini excursion we will
explore the relationship between the present and future values of money when
dealing with ordinary annuities and installment loans. The only mathematical
tools we will be using are the general compounding formula and the geometric
sum formula, both introduced in Chapter 10. For the readers benefit, here are
the formulas revisited.

C-1
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C-2 Mini-Excursion 3: The Time Value of Money

General Compounding Formula

#
If $a is invested today, the future value of $a after t years is $a # rt k where k
is the number of compounding periods per year and r = 1 + p [p is the
periodic interest rate expressed as a decimal (annual interest rate divided
by k)].

Geometric Sum Formula

a1rN - 12
a + ar + ar2 + + arN - 1 =
r - 1
(The geometric sum formula does not apply when r = 1.)

Fixed Annuities
Before defining an annuity, we will illustrate the concept with a couple of examples.

EXAMPLE 3.1 The Lottery Winners Dilemma

People who win a major lottery prize are immediately faced with an important fi-
nancial decisiontake the money in payments spread over an extended period
of time (usually 25 years) or take a smaller lump sum payment up front.
Imagine you win a major lottery prize. The choice is $350,000 cash today or
$30,000 a year paid over 25 years.Which is a better choice? Tough question, but we
will be able to come up with an answer by the end of this mini-excursion.

Example 3.1 illustrates the following classic problem: How does a present
value of $PV (the $350,000) compare with a future value of N annual payments
of $PMT (the $30,000)? As a purely mathematical question the answer depends
on PV, N, PMT plus one additional variablethe estimated risk (expressed in
the form of an interest rate i) of choosing the future value option. (Note that
there are also psychological and sociological aspects to this decision. If you take
the lump sum and you have no self-control, you may squander the money in a
short time and be miserable later. There is the mooch factorall those friends,
relatives, and financial advisors that will want a piece of your action, especially
when you take the lump sum option. There is the question of your current finan-
cial situation and how much debt you are carrying. And on and on and on. The
list is long.)
The next example is a variation on the theme first raised in Example 10.17 in
Chapter 10.

EXAMPLE 3.2 Setting Up a College Trust Fund: Part 1

A mother decides to set up a college trust fund for her newborn child by making
equal monthly payments into the trust fund over a period of 18 years (216 total
payments). The trust fund guarantees a fixed annual interest rate of 6% com-
pounded monthly, which equates to a periodic interest rate p = 0.005 (one-half
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Deferred Annuities C-3

of a percent). Moms original plan was to make monthly payments of $100 at the
beginning of each month. In this case, at the end of 18 years the total in the trust
fund is $38,929. (This total was computed in Example 10.17, but we will go over
the details again in the next example.)
Moms problem is that the $100 monthly payments are leaving her far short
of her goal of a $50,000 trust fund at the end of 18 years. What are the monthly
payments she should make to the trust fund to reach her $50,000 target in 18
years? We will answer this question in the next section as well.

Examples 3.1 and 3.2 illustrate the concept of a fixed annuitya sequence of
equal payments made or received at the end of equal time periods. Annuities
(often disguised under different names) are so common in todays financial world
that there is a good chance you may be currently involved in one or more annu-
ities and not even realize it. You may be making regular deposits to save for an
expensive item such as a vacation, a wedding, or college, or making regular pay-
ments on a car loan or on your credit card debt (ugh!). You could also be at the
receiving end of an annuity, getting regular payments from an inheritance, a col-
lege trust fund set up on your behalf, or a lottery win.
The word annuity comes from the Latin annua. Ancient Roman contracts
called annua were sold to individuals in exchange for lifetime payments made
once a year. The United Kingdom started the first group annuity called the State
of Tontine in 1693 in order to raise money for war. In this annuity people could
buy a share of the Tontine for a fixed sum in return for annual payments for the
remainder of that persons life. In the United States annuities began to be offered
during the Great Depression and have since become an integral part of the mod-
ern financial world that sooner or later we all have to face.
For the remainder of this mini-excursion we will focus on two basic types of
annuities: fixed deferred annuities and fixed immediate annuities. A fixed deferred
annuity is an annuity in which a series of regular payments are made in order to
produce a lump sum at a later date; a fixed immediate annuity is an annuity in
which a lump sum is paid to generate a series of regular payments later. You can
think of a deferred annuity as the process of creating a retirement nest egg (the
accumulation phase) and an immediate annuity as the process of taking money
out of a retirement nest egg (the payout phase).

Deferred Annuities
To measure how good a deferred annuity is we must look at its future value. The
future value is the sum of all of the payments plus the interest earned. The college
trust fund discussed in Example 3.2 is a classic example of a deferred annuity.
Lets look at the example in greater detail.

EXAMPLE 3.3 Setting Up a College Trust Fund: Part 2

In Example 3.2 we mentioned that if $100 is deposited at the beginning of each
month in a trust fund that pays 6% annual interest compounded monthly, the fu-
ture value of the trust fund after 18 years is $38,929. Lets consider in more detail
how this number comes about.
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C-4 Mini-Excursion 3: The Time Value of Money

The periodic interest rate is p = 0.06>12 = 0.005 (an annual interest rate of
6% compounded monthly). From the general compounding formula we have that
the first deposit of $100, compounded over 216 periods 118 years = 216 months2,
has a future value of $10011.0052216. The second deposit of $100, compounded
over 215 periods, has a future value of $10011.0052215. The third deposit of $100,
compounded over 214 periods, has a future value of $10011.0052214. And so on.
The last deposit of $100 is compounded over only one period and has a future
value of $100(1.005).
The future value of a deferred annuity (lets call it FV) is the sum of the fu-
ture values of all the deposits. In this case,

FV = $10011.0052216 + $10011.0052215 + + $10011.00522 + $10011.0052

The preceding sum looks like a good candidate for the geometric sum for-
mula. To best see how the formula applies, we reverse the order of the terms and
rewrite 100(1.005) as 100.5. When we do that we get

FV = $100.5 + $100.511.0052 + + $100.511.0052214 + $100.511.0052215

Now we can let a = 100.50, r = 1.005, and N = 216. Using the geometric
sum formula, we get

1100.502311.0052216 - 14
FV = $ L $38,929
1.005 - 1

Before we go on, lets deconstruct the preceding expression for FV. The
first factor in the numerator is the initial term in the sum, in this case
a = $100.50 = $100 # 11.0052. It represents the money in the trust fund at the
end of the first month, in this case the initial monthly payment of $100 plus
$0.50 interest for the month. (Note that when the payments are made at the end
of the month, then the initial term a of the sum is equal to the monthly
payment.) The second factor in the numerator (inside the square brackets) rep-
resents the expression 3rN - 14, and the denominator represents the expres-
sion r - 1 (which happens to equal p).
The mothers original goal was to have the future value of the trust fund be
around $50,000. To reach this goal, the mother can either increase the length of
time over which she makes the $100 monthly payments, or, alternatively, increase
the amount of the monthly payments. Lets consider both options.

Option 1: What would happen if the monthly payments to the trust fund were
to stay at $100 but the payments were extended to 19 years? To calculate the
future value of this deferred annuity, all we have to do is increase the expo-
nent N in the previous expression for FV from 216 to 228. Under this option
the future value of the trust fund (rounded to the nearest dollar) becomes

1100.52311.0052228 - 14
FV = $ L $42,570
1.005 - 1

This future value is still far short of the $50,000 goal, and extending the
payments over more years doesnt make much sense (it is, after all, a trust
fund to help with college expenses). This is clearly not the way to go.
Option 2: Suppose the monthly payments are increased to $150 and are still
made at the beginning of each month for 18 years. The only number that
changes now in the original expression for FV is the first factor in the numer-
TANNEMEXC_C1-C12-hr 6/16/06 12:42 PM
There are other types of immediate
annuities that are not loanslottery
winners who choose a lump sum up
front rather than yearly payments are
an examplebut making payments
on installment loans is clearly some-
thing that most of us can relate to.
Page C-5
Immediate Annuities C-5
ator, which becomes 15011.0052 = 150.75. Under this option the future value
of the trust fund (rounded to the nearest dollar) becomes
1150.752311.0052216 - 14
FV = $ L $58,393
1.005 - 1
This future value overshoots the $50,000 target by quite a bit, so we need
to reconsider the monthly payments. What is the correct monthly payment
that ensures that the deferred annuity has a future value of $50,000 after 18
years? Lets temporarily call this monthly payment x. Using exactly the same
argument we used previously, we set up the following equation:
x11.0052311.0052216 - 14
FV = $ = $50,000
1.005 - 1
Solving the preceding equation for x gives
11.005 - 12
x = $50,000 #
11.0052311.0052216 - 14
L $128.44
When we look at it the right way, the formula for the future value of an ordi-
nary deferred annuity matches exactly the geometric sum formula.
Future Value of a Fixed Deferred Annuity
rN - 1
FV = a #
r - 1
To get this perfect match, we let r = 1 + p, where p is the periodic interest
rate expressed as a percent, N be the number of equal payments made to the an-
nuity, and a be the money in the annuity at the end of the first period. [When the
payments of $PMT are made at the end of each period, then a = PMT; when the
payments are made at the start of each period (as in Example 3.3), then
a = PMT # r.]
The formula for the future value of a fixed deferred annuity can be used to
compute the size of the periodic payment necessary to reach a specific future
value target over a given number of payments N. All we have to do is solve the
future value formula for the unknown a:
r - 1
a = FV #
rN - 1
If the payments are made at the end of each period, then we have PMT = a; if
the payments are made at the beginning of each period, we have PMT = a>r.
Immediate Annuities
The flip side of a deferred annuity is an immediate annuity. The classic example of
an immediate annuity is an installment loan, where we get a sum of money now
(the present value of the loan) and pay it off in installments. When the install-
ment payments are fixed and made over regular periods (monthly, bimonthly,
etc.), we have a fixed immediate annuity.
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C-6 Mini-Excursion 3: The Time Value of Money

Once again, the geometric sum formula will be our main mathematical tool.
We will start with a very simple example to illustrate the key concept of this
sectionthe present value of a loan.

EXAMPLE 3.4 Present Value of a Single Payment Loan

Jackie just turned 16 and wants to buy a carnow! Problem is, she has no money.
She does have a $6000 inheritance that she can cash in in two years, when she
turns 18. She wants to borrow against that inheritance from her dad and offers to
pay the entire loan back in a single payment when she turns 18. Her dad agrees to
lend her the present value of the $6000 that she will pay back in two years, and he
will charge a token interest rate of 1.5% a year compounded yearly. How much
money should dad spot Jackie to buy the car?
From dads point of view, he is investing a sum of $a (the loan amount) to
receive $6000 in two years at an annual interest rate of i = 0.015. Since the in-
terest compounds yearly, p = i = 0.015. Using the general compounding formu-
la, we have

a11.01522 = $6000

and thus

$6000
11.01522
a = L $5824

In the preceding example, $5824 is the present value (PV) of the $6000 that
Jackies dad will get in two years, based on the very low interest rate of 1.5%
compounded annually. The present value would be much less if Jackies dad was
dealing with a total stranger, a reflection of the fact that the interest rate (the
variable that quantifies the risk factor) would be considerably higher.
In general, we can compute the present value of $FV at a time N periods into
the future using the following formula. (As always, p denotes the periodic interest
rate expressed as a decimal.)

Present Value of $FV at a Time N Periods in the Future

$FV
11 + p2N
PV =

Note: Sometimes it is more convenient to write the formula in the alterna-

tive form PV = $FV # 11 + p2-N.
Remember that a positive exponent in
a denominator becomes a negative
exponent when moved to the numer-
ator, and vice versa.
In Example 3.4 we dealt with a situation where the repayment of the loan is
done in a single lump-sum payoff at the end. While this may work for small loans
between family members, the typical situation is that we repay an installment
loan by making a long (sometimes too long) series of payments. This makes the
computation of the present value a bit more involved, but as before, the geomet-
ric sum formula will bail us out.
TANNEMEXC_C1-C12-hr 6/16/06 12:42 PM
See Exercise 7.
See Exercise 8.
The root of the word amortization
is the French word mort, meaning
dead or killed offas in killing
off the loan.
Page C-7
Immediate Annuities C-7
EXAMPLE 3.5 Present Value of an Installment Loan
You just landed a really good job and are finally able to buy that sports car you
always wanted. Your local dealer is currently advertising a special offer: zero
down and 72 monthly payments of $399 a month. The annual interest rate for the
financing is 9%, compounded monthly, so that the periodic interest rate is given
by p = 0.09>12 = 0.0075. As an educated consumer you ask yourself, How
much am I paying for just the car itself, never mind the financing cost? You can
answer this question by finding the present value of the loan.
In an installment loan such as this one, each of the payments is made at a dif-
ferent time in the future and thus has a different present value. The present value
of the loan is the sum of the present values of the individual payments. In this case
the sum of the present values of the 72 individual payments is given by
PV = $39911.00752-1 + $39911.00752-2 + + $39911.00752-72.
The first term in the above sum is the present value of the first payment, the sec-
ond term is the present value of the second payment, and so on. (For conve-
nience, these present values are expressed using the negative exponent version of
the present value formula.)
We can now apply the geometric sum formula to the preceding expression
for PV. There are a couple of different ways that this can be done, but the most
convenient is to choose a to equal the smallest term in the sum, which in this case
is $39911.00752-72. Thus, a = $39911.00752-72, r = 1.0075, and N = 72. The geo-
metric sum formula combined with a little algebraic manipulation gives:
311.0075272 - 14 31 - 11.00752-724
PV = $39911.00752-72 # = $399 # L $22,135
1.0075 - 1 0.0075
The bottom line is that you are paying $399 * 72 = $28,728 to buy a $22,135
car (the present value of the loan), and the $6593 difference is your financing cost
(i.e., the amount of interest you end up paying).
Given the periodic payment PMT, the periodic interest p, and the number of
payments N, the present value of any ordinary immediate annuity can be ob-
tained from the present value formula. The derivation of the formula is a direct
generalization of the computations in Example 3.5.
Present Value of a Fixed Immediate Annuity
31 - 11 + p2-N4
PV = $PMT #
p
When we solve the above present value formula for the periodic payment vari-
able PMT, we get an extremely useful formula known as the amortization formula.
The amortization formula allows us to calculate the size of the payments we need
to make to pay off an installment loan with a present value of $PV given a peri-
odic interest rate p and a number of payments N.
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C-8 Mini-Excursion 3: The Time Value of Money

Amortization Formula
p
PMT = $PV #
31 - 11 + p2-N4

We are finally in a position to make a sensible decision regarding the lottery

winnings discussed in Example 3.1.

EXAMPLE 3.6 The Lottery Winners Dilemma Revisited

Recall the dilemma facing the lottery winner of Example 3.1 (wasnt it you?):
Take the present value of the lottery winnings ($350,000 in cash today) or an an-
nuity of $30,000 a year paid over 25 years. To compare these two options we need
to choose a reasonable annual rate of return on the present value (think of it as
the rate of return you would expect to get if you took the $350,000 and invested
it on your own).
Lets start our comparison with the assumption that we can get an annual
rate of return of 5%. Using the amortization formula, we can compute the annu-
al payments we would get on $PV = $350,000 when p = 0.05 and N = 25:
0.05
PMT = $350,000 #
31 - 11.052-254
L $24,833

Clearly, under the assumption of a 5% annual interest rate we are much bet-
ter off choosing the annuity of $30,000 a year paid over 25 years offered by the
lottery folks. What if we assumed a higher annual rate of returnsay, for exam-
ple, 6%? All we have to do is change the corresponding values in the amortiza-
tion formula:
0.06
PMT = $350,000 #
31 - 11.062-254
L $27,379

We are still better off taking the annuity. It is only when we assume a rate of
return of 7% that the $350,000 lump-sum payment option is a better choice than
the annuity option:
0.07
PMT = $350,000 #
31 - 11.072-254
L $30,034

A slightly different way to compare the lump-sum option and the annuity
option is by computing the present value of 25 annual payments of $30,000 using
the present value formula. Lets start once again assuming an annual interest
rate of 5% 1p = 0.052. Then

31 - 11.052-254
PV = $30,000 # L $422,818
0.05
If we raise the interest rate to 6% the present value drops to $383,501, and
when the interest rate is 7% the present value is $349,607.
See Exercise 16.
The bottom line is that choosing the annuity is essentially equivalent to get-
ting about a 7% rate of return on the present value of $350,000. Looking at it as
an investment in the future, the annuity option is the safe, conservative choice.
There are, however, many nonmathematical reasons why many people choose
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Exercises C-9

the lump-sum payment option over the annuitycontrol of all the money, the
ability to spend as much as we want whenever we want to, and the realistic obser-
vation that we may not be around long enough to collect on the annuity.

Conclusion
Whether saving money for a retirement or getting a mortgage to buy a house,
understanding the time value of money is crucial to making sound financial
decisions. In this mini-excursion we saw how the general compounding formula
and the geometric sum formula (both introduced in Chapter 10) can be combined
and modified to give two extremely useful new formulas that allow us to compute
the future value of a fixed deferred annuity and the present value of a fixed imme-
diate annuity. An understanding of these ideas can set us free from the tyranny of
bankers and loan officers and from the agony and frustration of incomprehensi-
ble finance charges

Exercises
A. The Geometric Sum Formula
1. Use the geometric sum formula to compute
$10 + $1011.052 + $1011.0522 + + $1011.05235.
2. Use the geometric sum formula to compute
$500 + $50011.012 + $50011.0122 + + $50011.01259.
3. Use the geometric sum formula to compute
$10 + $1011.052-1 + $1011.052-2 + + $1011.052-35.
4. Use the geometric sum formula to compute
$500 + $50011.012-1 + $50011.012-2 + + $50011.012-59.
5. Use the geometric sum formula to compute $1011.052-1 +
$1011.052-2 + $1011.052-3 + + $1011.052-36.
6. Use the geometric sum formula to compute
$50011.012-1 + $50011.012-2 + +
$50011.012-59 + $50011.012-60.
7. Justify each of the following statements.
(a) $39911.00752-1 + $39911.00752-2 + +
311.0075272 - 14
$39911.00752-72 = $39911.00752-72 #
1.0075 - 1
311.00752
72
- 14
(b) $39911.00752-72 # = plans to put money at the end of each month into an ac-
1.0075 - 1
31 - 11.00752-724
$399 #
0.0075
8. Justify each of the following statements.
(Hint: Try Exercise 7 first.)
(a) $PMT11 + p2-1 + $PMT11 + p2-2 + +
311 + p2N - 14
$PMT11 + p2-N = $PMT11 + p2-N #
p deposits are made at the start of each week.)
311 + p2N - 14
(b) $PMT11 + p2-N # =
p
31 - 11 + p2-N4
$PMT #
p
B. Annuities, Investments, and Loans
9. Starting at the age of 25, Markus invests $2000 at the end
of each year into an IRA (individual retirement ac-
count). If the IRA earns a 7.5% annual rate of return,
how much money is in Markuss retirement account
when he retires at the age of 65? (Assume he makes 40
annual deposits, but the last deposit does not generate
any interest.)
10. Celine deposits $400 at the end of each month into an
account that returns 4.5% annual interest (compound-
ed monthly). At the end of three years she wants to take
the money in the account and use it for a 20% down
payment on a new home. What is the maximum price of
a home that Celine will be able to buy?
11. Donald would like to retire with a $1 million nest egg. He
count earning 6% annual interest compounded monthly.
If Donald plans to retire in 35 years, how much does he
need to sock away each month?
12. Layla plans to send her daughter to Tasmania State
University in 12 years. Her goal is to create a college
trust fund worth $150,000 in 12 years. If she plans to
make weekly deposits into a trust fund earning 4.68%
annual interest compounded weekly, how much should
her weekly deposits to the trust fund be? (Assume the
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C-10 Mini-Excursion 3: The Time Value of Money
13. Freddy just remembered that he had deposited money
in a savings account earning 7% annual interest at the
Middletown bank 15 years ago, but he forgot exactly
how much. Today he closed the account and the bank
gave him a check for $1172.59. How much was Freddys
initial deposit?
14. Zero coupon bonds. A zero coupon bond is a bond that is
sold now at a discount and will pay its face value at
some time in the future when it matures. Suppose a zero
coupon bond matures to a value of $10,000 in seven
years. If the bond earns 3.5% annual interest, what is
the purchase price of the bond?
15. CNN founder and Time Warner vice chairman Ted
Turner announced Thursday night that he will donate $1
billion over the next decade to United Nations programs.
The donation will be made in 10 annual installments of
$100 million in Time Warner stock, he said. Present day
value thats about $600,000, he joked. (Source: CNN,
September 19, 1997)
Find the present value of this immediate annuity to the
United Nations assuming an annual interest rate of
15.1%.
16. (a) Find the present value of an annuity consisting of
25 annual payments of $30,000 assuming an annual
interest rate of 6%. (Assume the payments are
made at the end of each year.)
(b) Find the present value of an annuity consisting of
25 annual payments of $30,000 assuming an annual
interest rate of 7%. (Assume the payments are
made at the end of each year.)
(c) Explain why the present value of an annuity goes
down as the interest rate goes up.
17. Ned Flounders plans to donate $50 per week to his
church for the next 60 years. Assuming an annual inter-
est rate of 5 15% compounded weekly, find the present
value of this immediate annuity to Neds church.
18. Michael Dell, founder of Dell computers, was reputed
to have a net worth of $16 billion in 2005. If Mr. Dell
were to take the $16 billion and set up a 40-year imme-
diate annuity for himself, what would his yearly pay-
ment from the annuity be? Assume a 3% annual rate of
return on his money.
19. The Simpsons are planning to purchase a new home. To
do so, they will need to take out a 30-year home mort-
gage loan of $160,000 through Middletown bank.Annual
interest rates for 30-year mortgages at the Middletown
bank are 5.75% compounded monthly.
(a) Compute the Simpsons monthly mortgage pay-
ment under this loan.
(b) How much interest will the Simpsons pay over the
life of the loan?
20. The Smiths are refinancing their home mortgage to a 15-
year loan at 5.25% annual interest compounded monthly.
Their outstanding balance on the loan is $95,000.
(a) Under their current loan, the Smiths monthly
mortgage payment is $1104. How much will the
Smiths be saving in their monthly mortgage pay-
ments by refinancing? (Round your answer to the
nearest dollar.)
(b) How much interest will the Smiths pay over the life
of the new loan?
21. Ken just bought a house. He made a $25,000 down pay-
ment and financed the balance with a 20-year home
mortgage loan with an interest rate of 5.5% compound-
ed monthly. His monthly mortgage payment is $950.
What was the selling price of the house?
C. Miscellaneous
22. You want to purchase a new car. The price of the car is
$24,035. The dealer is currently offering a special
promotionyou can choose a $4000 rebate or 0%
financing for 72 months. Assuming you can get a 72-
month car loan from your bank at an annual rate of 6%
compounded monthly, which is the better dealthe 0%
financing or the $4000 rebate? Justify your answer by
showing your calculations.
23. Perpetuities. A perpetuity is a constant stream of identi-
cal payments with no end. The present value of a perpe-
tuity of $C, given an annual interest rate p (expressed as
a decimal), is given by the formula
$PV = $C # 11 + p2-1 + $C # 11 + p2-2 + $C # 11 + p2-3 +
(a) Use the geometric sum formula to compute the
value of the sum
$C # 11 + p2-1 + $C # 11 + p2-2 + $C # 11 + p2-3 + +
$C # 11 + p2-N
(b) Explain why as N gets larger, the value obtained in
(a) gets closer and closer to $C/p. (Assume
0 6 p 6 1.)
24. Borrow $100,000 with a 6% fixed-rate mortgage and
youll pay nearly $116,000 in interest over 30 years. Put
an extra $100 a month into principal payments and youd
pay just $76,000and be done with mortgage payments
nine years earlier. (Source: Philadelphia Inquirer
finance column by Jeff Brown, November 1, 2005)
(a) Verify that the increase in the monthly payment
that is needed to pay off the mortgage in 21 years is
indeed close to $100 and that roughly $40,000 will
be saved in interest.
(b) How much should the monthly payment be in-
creased in order to pay off the mortgage in 15
years? How much interest is saved in doing so?
(c) How much should the monthly payment be in-
creased in order to pay off the mortgage in t years
1t 6 302? Express the answer in terms of t.
25. Sam started his new job as the mathematical consultant
for the XYZ Corporation on July 1, 2005. The company
retirement plan works as follows: On July 1, 2006 the
company deposits $1000 in Sams retirement account,
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References and Further Readings C-11

and each year thereafter, on July 1 the company de-
posits the amount deposited the previous year plus an
additional 6%. The last deposit is made on July 1, 2035.
In addition, the retirement account earns an annual in-
terest rate of 6% compounded monthly. On July 1, 2035
all deposits and interest paid to the account stop. What
is the future value of Sams retirement account?
26. To refinance or not to refinance? When interest rates drop
there are opportunities to refinance an existing home
mortgage by paying the up-front expenses of refinancing
and getting a mortgage at a lower interest rate. Whether
it is worth doing so or not is a decision that confounds
most homeowners. This exercise illustrates all the details
that need to be considered to make such a decision. Sup-
pose that your original mortgage is a 30-year loan for
$150,000 at 7.5% annual interest compounded monthly.
Three years after taking out the original loan, you have
an opportunity to refinance and take out a new loan at a
6% annual interest rate compounded monthly. There is
an up-front refinancing cost of $1500 (closing costs) plus
2 points (2% of the new loan).
(a) Calculate the monthly payment on the original
mortgage ($150,000 for 30 years at 7.5% annual
rate compounded monthly). Call this number
PMT1 . each.
(b) Calculate the outstanding balance on the original
loan after making 36 monthly payments of $PMT1
each.
(c) Calculate the monthly payments if you take out
a new loan on the balance computed in (b) for
27 years at a 6% annual interest rate compounded
monthly). Call this number PMT2 .
(d) The monthly saving in your mortgage payment if
you refinance is MS = PMT1 - PMT2 . Calculate
the present value of the 27 years of monthly sav-
ings of MS assuming a 3% annual rate of return.
Call this number PV.
(e) Find the present value of refinancing the loan. [The
present value of refinancing the loan is given by
PV - C, where C represents the cost of refinanc-
ing (closing costs plus points).]

Projects and Papers

A. Growing Annuities
Over time the fixed payment from an annuity (such as a re-
tirement account) will get you fewer and fewer goods and
services. If prices rise 3% a year, items that cost $1000 today
will cost over $1300 in 10 years and over $1800 in 20 years. To
combat this phenomenon, growing annuities in which the
payments rise by a fixed percentage, say 3%, each year have
been developed. In this project, you are to discuss the math-
ematics behind growing annuities. (See references 1 and 3.)
B. Annuities Illustrated
It is good educational psychology to explain difficult topics
by simple diagrams. Why, then, have annuities not been put in
some graphic form? [Source: J. Donald Watson (see refer-
ence 4)]
Of 20 textbooks that Watson referenced in 1936, not one
showed any type of diagram to aid in the understanding of
annuities. In this project, you are to prepare a presentation
illustrating the concepts discussed in this mini excursion by
way of diagrams, charts, and other visual aids. While graphs
and charts that show the balance on a loan or what happens
to the money in a retirement account over time are useful,
diagrams that illustrate the general concepts related to the
time value of money are the ultimate goal of this project.

References and Further Readings

1. Kaminsky, Kenneth, Financial Literacy: Introduction to the Mathematics of Interest,
Annuities, and Insurance. Lankham, MD: University Press of America, 2003.
2. Shapiro, David, and Thomas Streiff, Annuities. Chicago, IL: Dearborn Financial Pub-
lishing, 2001.
3. Taylor, Richard W., Future Value of a Growing Annuity: A Note, Journal of Finan-
cial Education, Fall (1986), 1721.
4. Watson, J. Donald, Annuities Illustrated by Diagrams, The Accounting Review,
Vol. 11, No. 2 (1936), 192195.
5. Weir, David R., Tontines, Public Finance, and Revolution in France and England,
16881789, The Journal of Economic History, Vol. 49, No. 1 (1989), 95124.
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